Halloween

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT HALLOWEEN - PAGE 5

ATLANTA -- On Halloween, Tasia Katapodis will dress as a witch to thrill young trick-or-treaters in her neighborhood. Ross Marland plans a resurrection as "dead Elvis" in sideburns and a sheet. And Ron Watson will transform himself into a singing Hank Williams Jr. -- with the help of a Stetson, some shades and a beer.In Atlanta and across the country, Halloween has become an excuse for adults to party."In the mid '80s, we began seeing a trend for adults and teens," says Betsy Helgager, a spokeswoman for Hallmark Cards.

The Baltimore SAFE KIDS Coalition and University of Maryland Medical Center are urging parents to take precautions to make sure children have a safe Halloween.Parents are being urged to accompany children who are under 10 years of age, to use light, brightly colored costumes that are more visible, to teach children not to dart into streets from between parked cars and to keep candles, lighted jack-o-lanterns, matches and lighters out of their reach.Pedestrian injuries, burns and falls account for the majority of injuries on Halloween, which safety experts say is one of the most dangerous nights of the year for children.

The first words we hear in "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" are "Oh my God, don't hurt me."The plea is sobbed by a woman somewhere back in the shadows. We never see her, we never know what happens to her, but if she's like the rest of us, the movie showed her no mercy.This is the sixth "Halloween" movie. The 1978 original is held up as the slasher archetype, praised for director John Carpenter's sense of suspense and timing. But at this point in "Halloween" de-evolution, suspense has long since been replaced by gore, ++ and timing now is a matter of zooming in on a head just as it explodes.

The U.S. Naval Academy Choir's Halloween extravaganza, directed by Monte Maxwell, chapel organist and assistant director of music at the academy, arrives in Baltimore this week. The concert, which draws thousands to its Annapolis performancae each year, adds lighting and special effects to accompany a Fright Night kind of program, including Bach's spooky Tocatta and Fugue in D minor and music from Phantom of the Opera. The concert is at 8 p.m. Friday at Second Presbyterian Church, 4200 St. Paul St. Tickets are $15. Call 410-663-3052.

In Carroll County, some towns tolerate Halloween, a few discourage it and the rest celebrate it.Most allow trick or treating, but restrict the hours and limit participants to costumed children under age 12. Residents who welcome young visitors Thursday night are urged to turn on outdoor lights.After a 20-year gap, Manchester will allow trick or treating again. The town threw its annual Halloween gala for all residents Saturday at Manchester Elementary School.Mayor Elmer C. Lippy, who arrived in a Roman toga, said he expected a few outsiders to crash the party.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Of ghosts and goblins. Of witches and black cats. Of Frankenstein's monster. Of things that go bump in the night. Halloween is nigh, and all manner of macabre events await the unprepared. So get a clue by reading this roundup of frightful Halloween events. But fear not; we've also included many happenings of a gentler nature, such as trick-or-treating, pumpkin-carving and apple-bobbing for kids of all ages. Anne Arundel County Halloween celebration. Oct. 28, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Historic Annapolis Foundation, William Paca Garden, 186 Prince George St., Annapolis.

By Sherry Graham and Sherry Graham,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | October 27, 1998

SATURDAY IS Halloween, bringing the excitement of neighborhood children donning costumes and rushing from door to door gathering candy treats.Use extra caution while driving Saturday and watch for little people.Here are family Halloween events.Family Harvest PartySt. Stephen's Reformed Episcopal Church in Eldersburg will hold its annual Family Harvest Party from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.The event is free and offers a safe, fun, family alternative to trick or treating. Costumes are optional.

The calendar only says Oct. 1, but Halloween is coming, and it's never too early to start thinking about a costume.The folks in the know at the Home Sewing Association have polled pattern makers, fabric retailers and others in the industry to come up with the top 10 costume categories for this year. They are: Austin Powers and mod fashions from the late '60s and early '70s.Characters from "Star Wars."Anything involving Pokemon.Elizabethan and Renaissance looks.Tarzan and Jane costumes.Batman and other superheroes.

The windows of eight vehicles parked along Talisman Lane in Owen Brown were smashed during Halloween night, county police said.Items were stolen from some of the cars, which were parked along the 7100 block of Talisman Lane, police said. The vandalism and thefts were reported in the early morning hours Sunday."I wouldn't say we'd attribute [the incidents] to Halloween pranks because some items were stolen," said Sgt. Gary Gardner, a police spokesman.The vandals took money, a portable heater, cassette tapes, sunglasses and a tire gauge from some of the vehicles, police said.

Halloween, the low-budget 1978 film that spawned the slasher sub-genre of horror films, returns Monday for a two-day run at selected theaters. Billed as Original Halloween, the limited engagement includes new interviews with members of the film's cast and crew, as well as with Rob Zombie, whose Halloween 9 is scheduled for release next fall. Area theaters screening Halloween include the Regal Bel Air Cinema 14 in Abingdon (410-569-8276) and the UA Snowden Square Stadium 14 in Columbia (410-872-0676)